UTSA’s resident ‘bull in a china closet’ takes aim at Rice

SAN ANTONIO — Big and strong and filled with competitive fire, UTSA first baseman Mike Warren has always been one of the most entertaining players to watch at Roadrunner Field.

Now that he has started to do a better job of harnessing his emotions, he has also become one of the team’s most consistent players.

Warren, a senior from Alamo Heights, leads UTSA in hitting (.337), RBI (42) and grimy uniform stains leading into a weekend series at home against the 21st-ranked Rice Owls.

From a player who once felt uncertain during big moments, he has evolved into one who craves them. UTSA coach Jason Marshall said it’s been fun to watch the change.

“I think we’ve all kind of been waiting for him to grow into that frame,” Marshall said Wednesday afternoon. “I mean, he is a physical, physical player. He plays the game extremely hard. He plays it like a bull in a china closet.

“Sometimes he gets in his own way by how hard he is playing. Not slowing down moments of the game. (Not) executing moments. I think that’s where he’s grown up most this year.”

One moment came last Saturday in Murfreesboro, Tenn.. That day, he clubbed a three-run home run that sparked an eight-run inning in a 9-4 victory over Middle Tennessee. Earlier this season, Warren stepped up to win two games with walk-off hits.

“It’s just been a matter of learning to breathe,” Marshall said. “Take a breath. And execute a swing, or execute a play in the field. I think that’s where he has matured the most. It’s been fun to watch.”

Warren said he is most proud of his increased production in RBIs.

“If you look at my RBI numbers from last year (29) to this year, that’s my main improvement,” he said. “It’s just come from relaxing in the moment and having trust in the way I’ve prepared myself.

“In the past, I’ve always been a real hard worker but it’s almost like I didn’t trust the way I prepared myself for that moment. Now I want to be up when people are on base.”

With the series against Rice running Friday through Sunday, UTSA will say goodbye to eight seniors playing their last games at Roadrunner Field.

Come this time next year, Marshall said he will miss Warren’s fire.

“He goes all out,” Marshall said. “He’s not scared to get dirty. He’s always sacrificing life and limb. He’ll crash into the fence or do a head first dive into first, which I’ve told him 100 times not to do.

“You know, he just plays with a reckless abandon that you wish every kid played with. He gets the absolute most out of who he is and he lives life that way, too. He’s a real treasure to be around and to coach.”

Rice beats HBU: The Owls, playing at home on Wednesday night, produced 13 hits in a 6-1 non-conference victory over the Houston Baptist Huskies.

Senior Chase McDowell earned the victory by pitching 6 and 1/3 innings. McDowell gave up one run on eight hits. At the plate, McDowell went 2 for 4.

Rice-UTSA matchup: Rice (32-15 overall, 18-6 in Conference USA) will play UTSA (30-19, 14-10) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Roadrunner Field on the UTSA campus.

First pitch on Friday is at 6 p.m. The teams play again at 2 p.m. on Saturday and at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

With two weeks left in the regular season, Rice leads the C-USA standings by two games over Alabama-Birmingham, by three over Southern Mississippi and by four over UTSA and Florida International.